West Somerset Coast Path

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West Somerset Coast Path
West Somerset Coast Path sign
Length25 mi (40 km)
LocationSomerset, England
DesignationUK National Trail
TrailheadsMinehead, Steart Peninsula
UseHiking
Lowest pointSea level
SeasonAll year

The West Somerset Coast Path is a

long-distance footpath that links the northern end of the South West Coast Path to the River Parrett Trail in Somerset, England, UK.[1]

In March 2016 a 58 miles (93 km) stretch of the

England Coast Path.[2]

Route

It runs from the hamlet of Steart on the Steart Peninsula, and passes through the villages of Kilve, West Quantoxhead, Williton, Watchet, Blue Anchor, and Dunster beach to Minehead.[3]

The beach at Kilve was described by

ammonite.[6] It is just possible to make out the remains of a stone jetty and the ruins of a lime kiln nearby. Here the limestone was burnt to provide farmers with the lime to spread on their fields. The limestone carrier Laurina was wrecked at Kilve in 1876.[5]

From Williton to Minehead the route is close to the track of the West Somerset Railway which opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to Minehead by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the significant number of tourists that wished to travel to the Somerset coast. Despite this traffic it was closed in 1971 but was then reopened in 1976 as a heritage railway.

Watchet is a harbour town, which, according to the

Bristol & Exeter Railway at Norton Fitzwarren. Both lines made extensive use of the harbour at Watchet from where iron ore was shipped across the Bristol Channel for smelting at Ebbw Vale in South Wales.[5]

The foreshore at Watchet is rocky, with a high 6 metres (20 ft)

Viking raids from the Bristol Channel around 878 AD.[12][13]

The

Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.[15] The Triassic cliffs have geological interest for the variety of fossils. The coloured alabaster found in the cliffs gave rise to the name of the colour "Watchet Blue".[16]

Dunster Beach, which includes the mouth of the River Avill, is located half a mile from the village, and used to have a significant harbour, known as Dunster Haven, which was used for the export of wool from Saxon times;[17] however, it was last used in the 17th century and has now disappeared among the dykes, meadows and marshes near the shore.[18] The beach site has a number of privately owned beach huts (or chalets as some owners call them) along with a small shop, a tennis court and a putting green. The chalets, measuring 18 by 14 feet (5.5 by 4.3 m), can be let out for holidays; some owners live in them all the year round.[19]

Route and points of interest

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Point Coordinates
(Links to map resources) 		OS Grid Ref Notes
Start 51°12′32″N 3°02′02″W / 51.209°N 3.034°W / 51.209; -3.034 (Start) ST278461 Steart on the Steart Peninsula
Lilstock 51°12′00″N 3°11′31″W / 51.200°N 3.192°W / 51.200; -3.192 (Lilstock) ST167452
Kilve 51°11′31″N 3°13′34″W / 51.192°N 3.226°W / 51.192; -3.226 (Kilve Beach) ST143443
West Quantoxhead 51°10′52″N 3°16′19″W / 51.181°N 3.272°W / 51.181; -3.272 (West Quantoxhead) ST111432
Watchet 51°10′55″N 3°19′44″W / 51.182°N 3.329°W / 51.182; -3.329 (Watchet) ST072434
Blue Anchor 51°10′55″N 3°23′56″W / 51.182°N 3.399°W / 51.182; -3.399 (Blue Anchor) ST022434
Dunster 51°11′38″N 3°25′48″W / 51.194°N 3.430°W / 51.194; -3.430 (Dunster Beach) ST001449
End 51°12′32″N 3°28′19″W / 51.209°N 3.472°W / 51.209; -3.472 (End) SS972466 Minehead

References

  1. ^ "West Somerset Coast Path". Somerset County Council. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  2. ^ "England Coast Path new stretch opens in Somerset". BBC. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  3. ^ "West Somerset Coast Path". Long Distance Walkers Association. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  4. ISBN 0-7028-8380-8
    .
  5. ^ a b c d Farr, Grahame (1954). Somerset Harbours. London: Christopher Johnson. pp. 119–120.
  6. ISBN 0-906456-98-3
    .
  7. ISBN 0-7091-1158-4
    .
  8. ISBN 0-906456-98-3
    .
  9. ^ Farr, Grahame (1954). Somerset Harbours. London: Christopher Johnson. pp. 125–137.
  10. ISBN 0-906456-98-3
    .
  11. ^ "Article from Issue Number 12/1 February 2005". Open University Geological Society (London Branch). Archived from the original on 18 February 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2008.
  12. ISBN 0-946159-94-7
    .
  13. ISBN 0-86183-028-8
    .
  14. ^ "Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast SSSI" (PDF). English Nature. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  15. ^ "Collections — Geology — page 7 - Reptiles". Bristol City Museum. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  16. ISBN 0-906456-98-3
    .
  17. ^ Gathercole, Clare. "Dunster" (PDF). Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey. Somerset County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  18. ^ Farr, Grahame (1954). Somerset Harbours. London: Christopher Johnson. pp. 138–140.
  19. ISBN 0-9526884-0-9
    )

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Somerset_Coast_Path&oldid=1042390768"